Paul Gibson Hardinsburg Baptist Church Revelation Bible Study #5

Have you ever been to a symphony, opera, or Broadway production? What was the atmosphere like prior to the start of the show?

Revelation 4&5—The Pre-Show I encourage us to see Revelation 4 & 5 as the pre-show to the rest of John’s revelation Just like the excitement present within a symphony hall before a symphony, the excitement and setting of Revelation 4&5 prepare us for the rest of the book

Layout of Revelation 4-22 A Heavenly Scene (4:1-5:14) The 7 Seal Judgments (6:1-8:1) The 7 Trumpet Judgments (8:2-11:19) An Interpretive Interlude (12:1-14:20) The 7 Bowls of Wrath (15:1-16:21) The Judgment of Apostate Religion (17:1-18)

Layout of Revelation 4-22 The Judgment of Great Babylon (18:1-24) The Return of Christ (19:1-21) The Millennial Age (20:1-10) The Judgment of the Great White Throne (20:11-15) The Heavenly Kingdom (21:1-22:6) (Patterson, Loc. 3820)

“It may help us to keep our balance in the rich mixture of imagery in the following chapters if we see the book like this, structured around its sequences of ‘sevens.’” (Wright, pg. 43) Seven letters Seven seals Seven trumpets Seven bowls

Remember that the number 7 represents what?

1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

"Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." When is the “this?”--Preterist, Idealist, Progressive Dispensationalist, Classic Dispensationalist The end of the church era? “The word church, so prominent in chapters 2 and 3, does not occur again until 22:16…” (Patterson, Loc. 3872)

2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. “In fact, of the sixty-two appearances of the world ‘throne’ in the New Testament, we find forty-seven of them in Revelation.” (Pate, pg. 50) Why would God place such an emphasis on the word “throne” in Revelation 4 and the rest of Revelation?

“Whatever John witnesses thereafter—however terrifying the judgments, however vicious the opposition—he may rest assured that not only does Christ concern himself with the affair of his people in history (chap. 1), but God is actively controlling all things from above history.” (Pate, pg. 50) GOD WAS AND IS STILL ON THE THRONE

3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby (carnelian). A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Imagine the most glorious part of a symphony or opera “The contrast of color could hardly be more dramatic than those presented here.” (Patterson, Loc. 3907)

Picture a symphony or opera or Broadway play building to a crescendo. When a symphony or opera or Broadway play draws you to your feet in thunderous applause; who are you applauding?

4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 24 thrones=12 tribes of Israel + 12 disciples “They represent, almost certainly, the combination of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles.” (Wright, pg. 44)

The Twenty-Four Elders Attempts to identify the elders have fallen into two broad categories, one saying that they are men and the other that they are angels. Each category has three variations, the former one saying that the men are either representatives of Israel, representatives of the church, or representatives of both. The latter category sees the angels as representatives either of the OT priestly orders or of the faithful of all ages, or as a special class or college of angels. (Patterson, Loc. 3931)

The Twenty-Four Elders Men Angels Representatives of Israel Representatives of the church Representatives of both Israel and the church Representatives of Old Testament priestly order Faithful of all ages College of angels

5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings (many voices) and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits (sevenfold spirit) of God. When a symphony or opera or Broadway play draws you to your feet in thunderous applause; who are you applauding? Don’t focus so much on who the twenty-four elders are, but instead, focus on why they’re in the throne room.

6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: " 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come."

were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. Ezekiel 1:1-10

Similar Visions Ezekiel 1 Revelation 4 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings…10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.

Purpose of Ezekiel “To urge repentance and authenticity; to foster confidence in the promise of victory and glory” (Ferris, http://people.bethel.edu/~pferris/ot103/Cmaptools/Ezekiel.html) The promise of victory and glory is the foundation of John’s vision in Revelation 4

Day and night they never stop saying: " 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come." Isaiah 6:3 “The Isaianic formula of qâdôsh , qâdôsh , qâdôsh , (“holy, holy, holy”) was almost certainly seen by John as a Trinitarian expression.” (Patterson, Loc. 4047)

“Holy is the Father, Holy is the Son, Holy is the Spirit”

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

Worthy of Worship When a symphony or opera or Broadway play draws you to your feet in thunderous applause; who are you applauding? “Worship is what we were made for; worship with a because in it is what marks us out as genuine human beings…All that is to come flows from the fact that the whole creation is called to worship the one true God as its creator.” (Wright, pg. 48-49)

Worthy of Worship “Do we, in our private prayers and worship, and in our public services and liturgies, give sufficient weight to praising God as the creator of all things?” (Wright, pg. 49) Do our worship services reflect Revelation 4?

“No church in which the people truly worshiped Christ ever split over worship. They split over preference and pride.” Hershael York (Pastor, Buck Run Baptist Church)